Short Sermon From The Reverend
Manchester’s Arena is ready for a night of swagger, flag waving bravado, alcohol and tales of debauchery, it’s the Libertines return to the spotlight finally, and as such most of their fans are preparing for their idol's entrance by having a few at the bar, or in a nearby pub.
However, before all that happens we have one of Sheffield’s largely unsung bands of recent years. Reverend and the Makers stroll on to the stage at an early time and are playing to a half filled arena and mainly to the die hard ‘Libertiners’ at the front. John McClure still a formidable figure, hair now unkempt and quite long, beard growing and wearing what looks like 2 duffle coats for the price of one, he walks out during ‘Amsterdam’ arms aloft announcing who they are and they quickly goes straight into ‘Open Your Window’ a self confessed banger from their first album ‘The State of Things’ and what would kick start a great short set. The Reverend wasting no time in pointing at the crowd and throwing in the odd quip here and there.
McClure is never short of bigging up his and his bands abilities even with an audience that aren’t strictly theirs, the couple of thousand that made it early are having a good time, even some dancing and singing along. ‘Shine The Light’ follows - keeping the momentum and spread of album tracks going, and its then a return to new record ‘Mirrors’ for standout track ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Making Babies’.
The Mirrors album has been lauded by such dignitaries as Noel Gallagher and Carl Barat himself, which is probably what earned their support slot tonight. ‘Black Widow’ is such a dark tune and Laura McClure, the missus, or Gaffer as it is inscribed on her keyboard, shows a mean hip twist and tambourine thigh slap guaranteed to make most male knees tremble. It obviously affected the Reverend too as he crawled on the floor towards the monitors.
Unusually they haven't kept their big hit ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ for the last track, preferring to throw it in now and as you would expect a great reaction, and as more people start to filter into the arena, it’s starting to bounce at long last. An uptempo skatastic ‘Miss Brown’ is next, and then it’s mostly all over, leaving ‘Silence is Talking’ last, and the crowd continuing to chant even after they leave the stage. It felt like job done for McClure and his merry gang leaving the crowd wanting more, if only all sermons were like this!
COMMENTS
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Id like to see theses again mate
